Advice an IT Professional Would Give (If They Happened to Be Your Dad)

All around the world, fathers and father figures are celebrated this weekend for what they provide to those who call them “Dad.” One of their gifts is the advice they offer to help us all navigate life more safely and successfully—something we strive to provide to all the businesses we work with to support their essential technology.

In light of Father’s Day being this Sunday, we wanted to emulate fathers everywhere and present some IT best practices phrased as the kind of advice these role models so often provide.

IT Advice, as Dad Would Share It

“Don’t forget to change your oil!”

Translation: Every so often, it’s a good idea to go through your old passwords and update them as a precautionary measure. Much like keeping your car’s oil clean and refreshed, ensuring your accounts are protected by sufficiently secure passwords is a good plan, as it will help keep your operations moving forward more effectively and with fewer interruptions overall. A bit of proactive maintenance can make all the difference over time.

“Take good care of your tools.”

Translation: Software needs to be maintained if it’s going to work effectively for you. A dull saw is far more dangerous to use than one with a nice, sharp blade. Software that is poorly maintained is similarly far more hazardous than properly cared-for options. Furthermore, if you have no use for a tool—whether software or otherwise—it makes sense to dispose of it for safety reasons.

“Pay attention to the weird noises.”

Translation: Those error messages and odd system behaviors are there to tell you something. If you take the small issues seriously, you’re more likely to solve a problem before it exacerbates into a much larger ordeal. Modern technology is sensitive, so if it starts acting oddly, there’s a reason.

“Make sure you lock the door behind you.”

Translation: Never leave a device unattended and unlocked. Much like you should always lock your front door when you’re going to be out of the house for a while, your devices—the modern bastion of so much sensitive data—need to be treated with due deference. Not only are the devices themselves valuable, but the data they contain could be priceless itself. In short, they need to be protected. Therefore, don’t leave them unattended—especially in public—and keep them locked whenever you aren’t actively using them to help prevent data theft.

“Measure twice, cut once.”

Translation: Think twice before clicking on links. Much like you can’t put a board back together after you cut it in two, you can’t unclick a malicious link. Pause before you click on any offers that sound too good to be true, prizes, or sudden urgent requests… it may just be enough to save your business from serious issues.

“Know how to put on a spare tire.”

Translation: It is essential to maintain proper data backups.  Much like most data loss disasters, it is nearly impossible to predict when you’ll have to deal with a flat. As a result, it is key that you are prepared. A comprehensive data backup and business continuity strategy will help ensure you are prepared to deal with any such circumstance.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Translation: Investing in solid security safeguards is, by far, the more economic choice. When comparing the costs associated with investing in cybersecurity against those resulting from addressing the ramifications of a breach, the former is hugely preferable. Therefore, modern businesses should properly invest in proactive protection not only for the sake of compliance and customer trust, but for their financial well-being.

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Translation: You need to have a unique and secure password for every account you have. Passwords are a foundational security measure, which means they need to be locked down and airtight. Make sure they are sufficiently long, complex, and, critically, different for every account you have. This helps minimize the damage from any one account being breached. Use a password manager to help keep them organized and in line with best practices. 

While We Aren’t Your Father, We Still Have Some Wisdom to Share

While this list may feel extensive, committing to these activities will ultimately make your business better… and before long, should become habitual. 

We’re here to help. Reach out to us at 708-781-7110 to learn more about how we can help, and Happy Father’s Day to those who observe it.